All of this bodes well for the future as business in the region continues to flourish and supply chains focus even more on safe and efficient regional gateways such as KCT, in particular. Speaking of the achievement, Gulftainer Group Managing Director Peter Richards said, “We’ve had a good start to the year and these record-breaking April volumes are further confirmation that the regional economies are expanding, particularly with the upsurge in investments in infrastructure and development in recent months, and also that lines and their customers vote with their feet, using the safe and cost-saving Gulftainer terminal options in the region”.

“Interestingly, our Sharjah Container Terminal has had record volumes every month this year, and as all this volume is for the local market, the
evidence seems to suggest that the UAE business environment is improving – particularly in Sharjah and the Northern Emirates. We are confident that 2011 will be an excellent year for the region and business will continue to grow – certainly Gulftainer is ready for it,” Richards added.

Gulftainer Group has 35 years’ experience operating in the UAE and around the world. In addition to operating two UAE ports on behalf of the Sharjah Port Authority – SCT and Khorfakkan Container Terminal – as well as Ruwais Port in Abu Dhabi, Gulftainer has a number of projects and investments in several countries, including Iraq, Pakistan, Turkey and Russia, as well as in Africa and the Indian subcontinent. Gulftainer’s logistics subsidiary, Momentum Logistics, was established in 2008 to take over the Group’s transportation and logistics business and has offices throughout the Middle
East.

The Q-GOS utilizes optical character recognition (“OCR”) for container code and license plate recognition, damage inspection imaging, RFID, software for handheld devices, GUI for quay, gate and security staff, access and area control features, driver kiosks, and an XML interface for data exchange with external systems.

“Operators experience many of the same issues on the quay as they do at rail and road exit and entry points,” says Petri Granroth, Visy’s Managing Director.  “Operators need to know what is entering or leaving their site, the condition it’s in, and how the work order is being processed.  The Q-GOS improves efficiency, enhances automation, and ultimately impacts the terminal’s bottom line.”

Much like a PACS or GOS, the Q-GOS extends beyond the perimeter of a port or terminal and offers checkpoints in the yard or the container exchange area.  For example, OCR is available for STS cranes, RTG/RMG cranes, ASC’s, straddle carriers, and mobile or fixed x-ray/radiation detection equipment.  The Q-GOS is completely flexible and scalable, therefore allowing any combination of technologies anywhere in the system.  Data can be sent in real time to the TOS, DGPS, PACS, GOS or any 3rd party system.

“OCR for straddle carriers is a particularly interesting development that will help many operators,” says Mr. Granroth.  “The OCR quickly and automatically captures the container code before the box is picked.  This saves time and costs on each transaction by eliminating manual data entry and other inefficiencies.  The technology can also automatically verify stack integrity via straddle carriers that maneuver in the yard.  This information can be used to find lost containers and update the TOS.  We look forward to helping our customers increase efficiency.”

This, combined with the unrivalled support philosophy offered to its clients in the LNG industry via a worldwide network of bases and highly-skilled team of globe-trotting fender technicians, convinced Saipem Spa that FenderCare had the strongest through-life proposition on offer to them. FenderCare’s Sales and Marketing Manager Phil Shaw commented:

“As well as being the world’s leading supplier of genuine Yokohama units, FenderCare is also the largest owner and operator of these fenders – using them on over 2500 offshore operations each year. Put very simply, as the market leader in 3rd party offshore Ship-to-Ship (STS) hydrocarbon & dry bulk transfer services we would not entrust our 23 years’ worth of reputation, our client’s vessels and cargoes, to any other brand of pneumatic fender.” The in-house knowledge of their team of STS Superintendents allows Fendercare to provide both engineering and practical advice on the fendering systems from the outset of such projects – well in advance of any steel being cut, and so thereby ensuring that the outcome for the client is a safe, efficient and reliable fendering operation.

This, combined with the unrivalled support philosophy offered to its clients in the LNG industry via a worldwide network of bases and highly-skilled team of globe-trotting fender technicians, convinced Saipem Spa that FenderCare had the strongest through-life proposition on offer to them. FenderCare’s Sales and Marketing Manager Phil Shaw commented:

“As well as being the world’s leading supplier of genuine Yokohama units, FenderCare is also the largest owner and operator of these fenders – using them on over 2500 offshore operations each year. Put very simply, as the market leader in 3rd party offshore Ship-to-Ship (STS) hydrocarbon & dry bulk transfer services we would not entrust our 23 years’ worth of reputation, our client’s vessels and cargoes, to any other brand of pneumatic fender.” The in-house knowledge of their team of STS Superintendents allows Fendercare to provide both engineering and practical advice on the fendering systems from the outset of such projects – well in advance of any steel being cut, and so thereby ensuring that the outcome for the client is a safe, efficient and reliable fendering operation.